Core Curriculum

The Core Curriculum at Mines forms the foundation for advanced study in the major fields. It is designed to give students the fundamental knowledge and skills they will need and put to use in their majors and in careers after graduation. Core courses provide students with fundamental technical, mathematical, and writing skills. In Core courses, students learn basic scientific procedures, principles, concepts, laws, and theories relevant to all applied sciences. In addition, Core courses in the humanities and social sciences help students develop interdisciplinary perspectives on the ethical, social, and cultural contexts within which science and engineering take place.

The variety of courses in the Core Curriculum also provide students with opportunities to develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, design, and communication. Students who complete the Core are well prepared to be lifelong learners and leaders who can work effectively in an increasingly globalized world.

The Core Curriculum has several parts: 1.) The Common Core 2.) Distributed Humanities and Social Science Requirement 3.) Distributed Science Requirement and 4.) Distributed Engineering Requirement. Requirements vary according to the major field of study. Finally, all students have a number of Free Elective courses. Students normally complete Common Core courses, Distributed Science requirements, and Distributed Engineering requirements in the first two years. Students typically complete Free Electives in the last two years. Refer to the Degree Requirements section for each major program in the Colorado School of Mines Undergraduate Bulletin for a listing of Common and Distributed Core courses students should take each semester.